Grease dispensing apparatus



Aug. 5, 1941; H. o. GRIMMEISNEN GREASE DISPENSING APPARATUS -lf'i1edbot. 25, 1939 2 Sheet-Sheet 1 INVENTOR I HSWMA/VQGR/MMHJE/ H. o.GRIMMEISEN 2,251,675 GREASE DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 25, 1939 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 5, 1941 Herman 0. Grimmeisen, WestSpringfield, Mass, assignor to Gilbert & Barker Manufacturing Company,West Springfield, Mass., at corporation of Massachusetts ApplicationOctober 25, 1939, Serial No. 301,227

1 Claim.

This-invention relates to an improved means for dispensing grease or thelike from the drums or barrels in which it is shipped.

An object of the invention is to provide a cabinet, Within which theunsightly drum or barrel may be placed and entirely concealed, and apumping apparatus connected with the cabinet and having means enablingit to be quickly and easily attached to or detached from pumpingrelation with the drum or barrel.

Another object of the invention is to provide in an apparatus of thetype described a suction pipe for the pump, which pipe is verticallyslidable into and out of the grease drum within the cabinet and may beheld in various vertical positions by a quick-acting clamp.

Another object of the invention is to arrange a clamping means for thesuction pipe of the pump that will also act as a scraper, removinggrease from the suction pipe as it is elevated preparatory to removal ofa grease drum from the cabinet, the grease thus scraped off falling backinto the drum within the cabinet.

These and other objects will best be understood as the detaileddescription proceeds and will be pointed out in the appended claim.

The invention will be disclosed with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Fig. l is a small-scale, exterior elevational view of a grease dispenserembodying the invention, the parts being shown positioned fordispensing;

Fig. 2 is a small-scale elevational view,-taken reversely from Fig. 1and showing the dispensing casing opened and the pump unit elevated toenable the removal of an empty grease drum and replacement of it with afilled drum;

Fig. 3 is a small-scale end elevational view of the apparatus;

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan View, taken on the line i4 of Fig. 2 anddrawn to an enlarged scale to show the means for holding the pump unitin the desired position of vertical adjustment; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Referring to these drawings; the invention includes a housing or cabinetA, within which may be placed and concealed a grease drum B, and onwhich is mounted a suitable pump unit of any kindsuch as thehand-operated pump C together with means for quickly connecting the pumpto and disconnecting it from the drum. Usually also, a meter is providedand, in this case, it is incorporated with the pump C in the samecasting and drives a register D which shows the measure of the greasedischarged. The use of a meter is not a necessary element of the presentinvention. The pump is provided with a suitable d isc'harge means, suchfor example as the hose E.

"The cabinet A may be of any kind suitable for the purpose and, as shownin Fig. 3, has a panel Ill which is easily removable. With this panelremoved, as shown in Fig. 2-, a grease drum may easily be put inplacetherein or removed therefrom. This panel Ill is held in place at itslower end by a member H which fits into a suitable opening in the floor12 of the cabinet, as shown inFig. 3 At the upper end of the panel In isa spring I3, fixed thereto. This spring frictionally engages aprojection l4 fixed to the cabinet and serves to releasably hold thepanel ill in its closed position. Any other suitable means may be usedfor the purpose. A handle I5 is provided on panel l0 and, by a pull onthis handle, the spring l3 will be disengaged from projection I4, afterwhich the panel may be lifted vertically iarenough to remove member Hfrom its slot and is then entirely removed. The cabinet usually isprovided with suitable casters I6 and a handle I! by which the cabinetmay be pulled around .fromplace to place.

The pump C has rigidly connected thereto a suction pipe l8 which extendsdownwardly through the top wall 19 of cabinet A and normally enters thegrease drum B, extending downwardly nearly to the bottom thereof asshown in Fig. 1. The top of the grease drum is usually removed in orderto allow entry of the suction pip-e I8. Pipe I8 is free to slidevertically through an opening in the top wall [9, as will be clear fromFig. 5. When necessary to remove the drum B from cabinet A, one pullsupwardly on a bail handle 20 pivoted to the shell of register D, therebylifting the interconnected pump and meter C together with the attachedsuction pipe [8 from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig.2.

The suction pipe l8 may be held in place in either of the verticalpositions described, or in any intermediate vertical position, by themeans best shown in Fig. 4. As there shown, a wide strap 2| encompassesthe greater part of the periphery of pipe [8 at a location near the topwall l9. This strap has two outstanding paralle1 ears 22, each providedwith upper and lower strengthening webs 23. The strap is fixed in anysuitable way, as by spot welding, to a bracket 24 (Figs. 4 and 5) whichin turn is similarly fixed to a bracket 25, secured by spot welding orany other suitable way to top wall l9. The shank of an eye bolt 26passes through both ears 22 and on its threaded outer end bears aknurled nut 21'. The inner face of nut 21 is intended to bear on one ofthe cars 22' and it has a pin 28 (Fig. 5) adapted to fit into any one ofa series of depressions 29 in the ear which it engages, in order to holdthe nut against rotation. The other ear is engaged by cams 38 (Fig. 4)on the webs 3| of a handle 32. A pin 33, extending through and rivetedat its ends to the webs 3|, passes through the eye of bolt 26. The nut21 is adjusted until the strap 2| grips pipe |8 with suflicient forcewhen the handle 32 is in the position illustrated in Fig. 4. The handleis then pulled forwardly (toward the opening created by the removal ofpanel It). Then when handle 32 is pushed rearwardly (downwardly asviewed in Fig. 4) the grip of the strap on pipe I8 is relaxed so thatthe pipe may he slid up or down as required. Thus, a conveniently andquickly operable means is provided for holding pipe IS in its variouspositions of vertical adjustment.

The suction pipe is provided with the usual foot valve 35 (Fig. 1) andon its lower end has two lugs 36 which engage the bottom of drum B andspace the inlet end of pipe I8 above such bottom of the drum.

The normal condition of parts is as shown in Fig. 1. The grease drum Bwith its cover removed or otherwise arranged so that the suction pipe l8can pass therethrough, is entirely concealed with the cabinet, which maybe given pleasing and attractive lines as shown. The pump is operated inthe usual or any suitable way and grease is lifted up through pipe [8and forced out through the dispensing hose E, being measured, ifdesired, as above described, and the measured quantities shown on theregister D.

The invention provides the means for concealing the unsightly greasedrum and also provides an arrangement whereby an empty drum B may bereplaced with a filled drum with convenience and dispatch. One simplyremoves the panel l0,

as described, and pushes back on handle 32.

This loosens the grip of the clamping strap 2| on suction pipe l8 andenables the operator to lift the same out of drum Busing the bail handie20 for the purpose if desired and raising the combined pump and meter Cand the register D at the same time. The clamping strap 2| has also thefunction of a scraper for pipe |8removing most of the grease therefromas the pipe is elevated. The grease, thus scraped oiT, falls back intothe drum B. The handle 32 is then pulled forwardly, thus causing thestrap 2| to grip pipe l8 and thereby holding the same with the pump inthe elevated position shown in Fig. 2. Then the empty drum B is liftedout and a new drum put in place in the cabinet, the cover of the drumhaving previously been removed. The handle 32 is then pushed back toloosen strap 2| and release pipe l3. Then the pump is pushed downwardly,plunging the suction pipe 8 into the new drum B. When the pipe I8 ispushed downwardly as far as possible, the handle 32 is pulled forwardly,thereby again clamping the pipe I8 to the casing of the cabinet. Thepanel lil is then replaced and the apparatus is in readiness forsubsequent dispensing operations.

The invention enables the change of drums to be eifected easily andquickly and also neatly, there being no occasion for drippings of greaseto lodge on the floor or elsewhere.

What I claim is:

In combination, a cabinet having a fioor on which a grease drum isadapted to be supported and an overlying top wall together with sidewalls which form with said floor and top wall an enclosure completeexcept for an opening in the side walls through which opening a greasedrum may be inserted or removed, a closure for such opening, pumpingmeans, a suction pipe therefor mounted to slide vertically through saidtop wall and into and out of said drum, and a split-cylindrical strapfixed at a point between its ends to said top wall and substantiallyencompassing and closely fitting said pipe, whereby to scrape greasefrom the pipe while the pipe is moved upwardly and allow the scraped-offgrease to fall back into the underlying drum, and means for drawing theends of said strap together to contract the strap about said pipewhereby to clamp the pipe in any of the various positions of verticaladjustment to which it may be moved.

HERMAN O. GRIMMEISEN.

